16 - Wednesday, September 2, 1992 ~ North Shore News

NV canoe club members
part of world record team

Vancouver paddiers join forces in Sacramento heat

EIGHTEEN ‘participants from the North Vancouver Canoe
Club: (NVCC) — all Squamish Nation members — took
their.:skills to Sacramento, California to compete in the
World Outrigging Sprints, held during the week of Aug. 16

to 22.

They came back with an unof-
‘ficial: world record and a renewed
belief. that their training and abili-
ties. can: stand paddle to paddle
: against the best on the planet.

. The. NvcC” — in collaboration
“with members of the False Creek
/ Racing Club :— broke the record
_ inuthe ‘first semifinal heat ‘in the
DC'12, a 500-metre event:

The DC 12 style canoe is ; actual- ot

ly” two “canoes joined: together

'~ with ‘six paddlers in each.

Six of ‘the best from the NVCC
filled out one side, while the other
was made-up ‘of: the” False, ‘Creek

~ Club members...

- -Enevitably ‘dubbed’ ‘4*The
Cowboys’ and indians," the com- ~
plete crew went on to beat racers
from around the Pacific Rim.

mong: the. nations ae

snd. Tahiti, which ‘is con-
“one of the world’s finest

By Paul Hughes.
Contributing Writer

: locally.

Temperatures hovering
high. 30s-and 40s ,combined with
limited’ training in outrigger rac-
-ing, frustrated “his attempts to
.: place in his-races.
ot“When I. got back onto the
beach after the’ single paddle race,
1 just felt lost,’? he said. ‘‘Then
* Hugh’ (84. Olympic’s medal. win-
ner and. FCRCC member -Hugh
Fisher) said to me, ‘We’ ve got to
sFYace again, Mike.’

‘I- said, ‘Yeah. Maybe- this

-time we'll beat the Tahitians.°" .---

They went on to do just that.

Aside from Billy, the other
paddlers from the NVCC on the
record-winning DC 12 were Alvin
’ Martin, Stewart Nahanee, Ray
Natrall, Bert Baker and Mark An-
tone.

Two of the canoes beaten in the. -

heat' were the Tamari Fare Ute
from Tahiti, and the Kei Elue
.from. San Diego, both of which
went on to win the final, coming
in first and second respectively.
But not with a record time.

in the.

* Mike Billy, 28, is no stranger to

* canoe racing. He began training

when he ws.15, eagerly following

“the advice of his father, Cedric

Billy, who is currently” the club’s
coach,

For both father and son, canoe
racing is more a philosphy than a
competition.

“I like racing for the values-it
brings,” said Mike. ‘“‘Not drink-

ing, not swearing, avoiding drugs
— and for the discipline the train--

ing demands.’

During the season, Billy regu-_

larly runs from his Vancouver res-
idence to the. North Shore canoe
shed, trains in the canoes ard then

runs home. The training also in- .

cludes swimming and weight-lif-
ting. .

For the future, Billy dreams of
the formation of a Coast Salish
yacing society, with many more

‘members pulling together to bring

a. new level of sophistication to

their racing..
But he has’ no. ‘wish to abandon

the traditional native roots. in | the

search for fame.
When asked whether he can

forsee NVCC members par-'*
‘in -the, Olympics one. *

ticipating
day, he replies:

“I’ve heard they (the Olympic 7
Games) are really commercial -

now. Athletes will sell their souls
for that fast half-inch. For us,
canoe racing is not a sport you
perfect. It's a life you live.’”

Sept. 12: The Vancouver Racquets:
-Club is’ celebrating. its, expanded
facilities and is inviting the general -
‘ public. to.an open house on Sept. -
12, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m..
Prizes; membership discounts. and

‘Jessons jaily ‘all-year at the Karen
Aaenusseh Arena. . For: more in-

programs. are being. of fered in, the
‘new Karen. Magnussen. RecCentre
omplex.. Aquacise body

air exer-

“9: Young gis inetd in

’ thing “that

beginning-level - rhythmic gym-_
nastics are needed for a. new~-
rhythmics program being offered

. by the Vancouver-based Club

Adagio. For mor information call
261-2752. .

. Sept. il: if you think ‘the’ only
makes a real estate
agent hustle is the prospect: of a.
commission, check out the 16th
Annual North Shore Realtors
Grouse. Mountain Run. All pro-
ceeds go to the B.C. Lions Society
for Crippled Children. Included in
the day’s events are a chili cook--
off, a mountain bike barrel race, -
and a tug-of-war. Contact Ed *‘
Hume at 986-4371: for more in-
formation.. — . -

guest passes will be awarded
thoughout the day. For more in-

formation call Jeanette at 526- —

9356 or 874-0242.

SPORTSLINE RUNS. ‘every Wed.

nesday’as space permits. If -you
are planning an event, submit

details by the preceding Friday to :

“the North: - Shore News, - 1139.

‘ Lonsdale Ave., . N... Van.,

Shore and fundraising events:

7 GSFL. registering football players for fall:

“THE “GORDON Sturtridge .

"Football League (G.S.F.L.)

» is’: currently... registering
“players for®. the 1992 fall
season. :

‘The-. GSFL. encompassing
the. ‘entire’; North | Shore -: from

' -+ Squamish.to Deep Cove, is one of

‘the oldest, and largest, leagues in
:: Canada’ involving players Tanging
in age from : six to 16.

and weight to ensure teams are-

balanced by size and ability. The‘

Fiag_ division (non-contact) is
‘available for male and female
players, but the league has yet to
have its first female contact
player.
The G.S.F.L. was formed in
1954 and adopted the name Gor-
- don Sturtridge four years later in
-memory of the C.F.L. player who
died in 1955 in a mountainside

_ Last «season 450 players par- - plane crash with several other

: “ticipated |; ‘in the ‘league and Presi-
‘dent: Mac_ Campbell . expects that
number to top 500 this year. ~
“Youngsters ‘up to age: 16 play

under a “system where the contact _

ision is strictly, regulated by age

members of the feague’s All-Star

‘team.

Sturizidge was. a’ Canadian -

player: with the “Saskatchewan
Roughriders, and gave a’ great
amount of his time and energy to

“. Since:

 Campbeli, at 980-9740.

instruct young players ‘about the

game.
‘- Regular season registration for
all players is Tuesday, Sept. 8
through Thursday, ‘Sept. - 10, . be-

tween 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. at
Norgate Park Field House. A .

copy of a birth certificate is re-
quired by the league, and ~ the
player will be weighed in at the
time of registration io assign a
division.

the league is

involved...

V7M_= *1.
2H4. Priority is given to North

totaliy.~ §
opcrated by volunteers, interested .
parents are also encouraged to Bet .

Lynn Vaitey Little League ‘eleven-year-olds team. Back Ro
(left to right): . Manager Kevin Layton, Coach Eden Briscoe.

4:Middie Row: Steven Ennis, Tristan Crowther, Blake. Ande
son, Clinton Hosford,. Sherif Amara, Lloyd Haggard, Bryan

Guilfoyle. Front. Row: Cameron Janz, ‘Shaun: tayton, Srian

. Brisese, Andrew Janz.

THE .LYNN Valley -Little
_League_ eleven-year-old team
won Whalley’s 5th annual
Drew, Henderson Memorial, in
the process becoming the. first

- North Shore. ‘tear to. win the.

tournament.

In the tightly contested. ‘final,
Lynn Valley edged out.a strong ®

Coquitlam team by a’ score of

_ 3-2, Lynn Valley pitchers Bria
: Briscoe. and: Clinton. Hosford ::
‘while °°
‘Shaun Layton’ led the- offensive. -
with two -RBI’s,’. in- _

kept. the teams - close,:

attack -

: cluding the game

Lynn - Valley's : lead-off - batte
Biake. Anderson stroked :a -tr
ple to the outfield, and. wen
on 10 score after a smnastert

* saw. Lynn Valley win
*. games,
«Whalley, Surrey,

-Langley -and Coquit

beating

only -. loss’. was~:t
North: Shore. tea
namént, Mount

DFTERENTAL LNSRICNTS

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For. more - information ‘contact. B

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Mac